ePHOTOzine Reviews

With a chorus of choirboys singing, massed pipers piping and a hundred heralds, er heralding, it�s the shiny new semi-pro DSLR from Canon. Duncan Evans puts away the kid gloves and gets out the silk ones with gold filigree he uses for special occasions.

User Reviews

At its age this is more a camera for the 2nd hand buyer. So perhaps the best question is how does it compare to a modern entry level camera and where does it functionally fit in the 20D/30D/40D/50D family?

Compared to entry level new. Its specification is still fairly competitive, the 10mp sensor allows for good A3 sized prints and it has noise fairly well under control. Its reaction times are fairly fast, the 9AF focus points , all cross ones and close to 6 frames a second leave it a bit faster than most entry cameras. Also stick it to your eye and the viewfinder is that bit bigger and brighter than entry devices. Its LCD screen is good and clear, but not as high resolution as later screens, but more than accurate enough for liveview use.

Video it lacks, and it lacks AF for liveview (you can press the AF button to make it drop the mirror to focus). So its liveview is not for video or hand held shooting like a compact, so at first that sounds negative. But the liveview it offers is excellent for tripod based work. You can stop the lens down and zoom in on any part of the image to accurately check the Depth of Field. That it auto gains is good so the LCD does not darken out. Also you can move the metering to any part of the image so you have a roving spot meter. I find these features great for still life and Landscapes.

Compared to an entry camera it is the handling that sets it apart. The grip fits in my hand so well, the extra command wheel on the rear allows exposure compensation to be set quickly, and the joystick allows for rapid selection of AF point. You can set a lot of variables without removing the camera from the eye and delving into the LCD menus. And it has 3 customer set custom functions (more than the older or newer variants.) I have one for hand held HDR, (f8, fast frame rate single shot AF, +/-2 stops from metered value, ISO 200), another for tripod HDR (10 second delay, liveview, ISO 100, f11, shots at +/-2 stops). Another for sports (AI servo AF, ISO400, f4,....) and flip back to AV and its in normal shooting mode.

Compared to the 50D, well the newer camera has micro adjust on the AF and a better LCD and more pixels. The last item is a double edged sword, as I prefer the high ISO performance of the 40D though the 50D has more resolution at low ISO, but at A3 not a lot in prints. Compared to 7D, forget it the 7D is better in all respects. Compared to 20D/30D, the 40D has all round cross AF points and a better viewfinder plus the liveview features and custom functions. Treat it as an improved 30D and it fits in well. Noise wise not lot in it, but the 40D has a slight resolution advantage.

The cloud on the 40D horizon, you read of shutter failures. Mine died and was replaced by canon @ 14,000 shots. It has done far more since. significant??

So buy one or not?, If you find a good clean example then yes. It is a well designed well set out camera that is easy to get along with, the appreciation of the ergonomics growing as you use it.